5:52PM: The Rangers are trading a top-10 protected 2030 First Round pick for Pettersson. (Friedman)
3:52PM: The Rangers are reportedly acquiring Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver. (Pagnotta)
Pettersson is 30-years old and is signed for five-more seasons at $5.5 million per season.
He played for Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh for seven seasons, is a left shot, 6-5, 174lbs and has 21 goals and 159 assists in 604 career NHL games.
Pettersson was actually traded from Pittsburgh to Vancouver with the First Round Pick that the Rangers sent to Vancouver for JT Miller.
He would have to waive his no-move clause to come to the Rangers.
Pettersson has averaged 19:17 per game in his career.
Adam Rotter: With Pettersson the Rangers are getting someone that Mike Sullivan knows well and presumably trusts to play 18-20 minutes per game on the second pair and PK. He won’t score a lot but he has had a few 20-assist seasons. He’s signed long-term and he’s solid. He’s not going to wow but he should be able to defend and is a very clear upgrade on the left side behind Vlad Gavrikov than anyone the Rangers had last season.
The return being a 2030 Top-10 Protected pick is interesting. I was expecting Will Borgen to likely be going back to Vancouver even though Borgen doesn’t fit with where the Canucks are going. Now, and after the Rangers acquired Sean Durzi, the Rangers will eventually have to move a defenseman. It’s always risky to trade picks so far out into the future but if it’s top-10 protected then it mitigates the risk a bit.
It’s a move that definitely makes the Rangers defense better in the short-term and, again, gives them a player that Mike Sullivan knows well.